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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Wishful Thinking in Dallas? (MeloDrama 2014)

A week after the NBA Finals...now, Carmelo Anthony has voiced his decision to weigh his options around the league.

What city is the best possible fit for Melo?

Here's a list of the top four cities (in no specific order) Carmelo Anthony may consider to play with this upcoming NBA Regular Season.

New York

Known for playing almost as much defense as James "Score First, Defense Never" Harden, Carmelo Anthony has taken the important role of being responsible for his team's playoff/championship runs over the past four years. This proves to be a tough, uphill battle due to the lack of all-around players on his New York roster.

Derek Fisher (left) and Phil Jackson (right)

The players on the Knicks roster can be described as one-dimensional, with the exception of maybe one or two guys.

Believe me, if your team (such as the Houston Rockets) can score and find it difficult to play defense, this is a major problem. However, I'm sure New York would be grateful to have Melo back in their lineup. But for now, Carmelo may take his talents elsewhere.

The New York Front Office has really expressed their desire to keep Carmelo in New York...hiring Phil Jackson as Team President and Derek Fisher as the Head Coach. It's evident the New York Knicks Front Office wants a fresh start in NYC with Carmelo as the "go-to" guy, but it seems Carmelo may have other ideas in mind.

Houston

The home of James "Score First, Defense Never" Harden. Houston is a great place, but I'm afraid their basketball team offers the same sub-par roster as the New York Knicks. This has nothing to do with my distaste of the Houston Rockets...or maybe it does (I'm from Dallas...it's necessary). In all honesty, the Rockets' roster is great on paper, but sub-par in reality (sound familiar Cowboys fans?).

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Dwight Howard (12) and James Harden (13)

I believe if Melo decides to choose Houston as his next place of occupation, he will run into a situation similar in comparison to the New York Knicks.

There is a great deal of offense on the Rockets' roster, which Melo would positively impact...but defense wins games/championships!

Until James Harden and others on the Rockets' roster hone their defensive skills, I do not believe Melo will run the risk of joining the Houston depth chart.

Dallas

As an avid fan of the Dallas Mavericks (since the days of Jim Jackson, Jamal Mashburn, and Jason Kidd, to be exact), I would really love to see Carmelo join Dirk and company. The reality of the situation is: no one (and I mean no one) wants to share the spotlight with Dirk Nowitzki.

The generation of poster boys now consists of guys who want to have the spotlight to themselves...and it's true, Carmelo wants a team that he can outright claim as "Carmelo's." ﻿

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Dirk Nowitzki

Believe me, if Melo comes to Dallas...all season long, we will hear "Melo, Dirk, and company" or "Melo and company, with Dirk sitting out for tonight's game."

Wherever the Mavericks go, Dirk's name will also. It's just how the franchise operates. The main concern I have that may deter Melo from coming to Dallas is one thing: pride.

Championships occur when egos are checked at the door. It's common for their to be friction in the locker rooms during playoff runs, but the team who appears to be the most poise in crunch time has the upper hand in attaning their goal. Will Melo lower himself (and his wallet) to join Dirk and company for a possible, deeper run in next year's postseason? We'll have to wait and see.

Chicago

The Bulls have suffered the last few years with injuries to two previous starters, Derrick Rose and Luol Deng, whom greatly contribute to the offensive end for the Bulls. Chicago faces the same problem that the Miami Heat faced this in year's NBA Finals: lack of a Floor General.

This absence has created an environment where it is difficult for the Bulls to put up points when they need it most. The fact is: Chicago has a defense. Offense is where they've recently suffered, which opens up a perfect segue for me to mention Carmelo Anthony.

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Derrick Rose

Melo is known for his offense-first mentality and the Bulls really need this guy if they look forward to starting "fresh." I hate Derrick Rose (see image) had to suffer knee injuries in consecutive seasons, which sidelined him for the majority of the '12/'13 and '13/'14 seasons, but I'm pretty sure Chicago wants to move on with or without Rose being 100%.
And I thought Dwyane Wade's knees were really bad.

Finally, if Melo chooses Chicago, this may be his best choice to relocate and build his brand even more with a solid, surrounding cast of players. Hey, the Bulls made it to the playoffs these last few years without Derrick Rose commanding the offense. Whereas, the New York Knicks couldn't make it to the playoffs with a healthy starting lineup.

Melo has until July 1st before he can meet with teams to discuss potential agreements (I really think it's out of these four choices). Until then, we'll see how the NBA Draft turns out and what waves will surface surrounding Carmelo's decision.